Hannah Furlong
Editorial Assistant
Sustainable Brands
Consumer Goods Forum Calls for Action on Forced Labor, Scale-Up of Low-Carbon Refrigeration
Supply Chain / The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), a group of about 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers and other global industry stakeholders, sent out two calls to action this month. The CGF is rallying the industry to fight forced labor – which affects 21 million people globally – in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The CGF also plans to ramp up its implementation of low-carbon refrigeration equipment among its members’ stores. - 7 years ago
Trending: ReKindness, Hubbub Creating Circular Model for Clothes Through Swapping, Upcycling
Product, Service & Design Innovation / There are new options for Americans and Brits alike who want to “re-fashion” their wardrobes. ReKindness is an Atlanta, Georgia-based startup that is allowing members to swap clothes through its online platform. On the other side of the pond, environmental charity Hubbub is running events to help people learn how to repair and upcycle clothes and accessories, in addition to “clothes swapping boutiques.” - 7 years ago
GM Launches Maven On-Demand Car-Sharing Service
Product, Service & Design Innovation / Less than three weeks after General Motors (GM) announced a $500 million investment in ride-for-hire service Lyft, GM made another big move towards “the future of mobility.” This week, GM launched Maven: an on-demand car-sharing service and “personal mobility” brand. - 7 years ago
Trending: Bio-Based Materials Breakthroughs Thanks to Seashells, Fructose
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging / New research on natural materials has the potential to unlock innovations in packaging, clean energy, and other industries. Fructose, a sugar found in many plants, and calcium carbonate, the material that crystallizes into chalk, shells, and rocks, have each led to chemical discoveries.DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) have developed a methodology that uses fructose to produce cost-efficient, renewable chemicals and polymers for plastics and textiles. - 7 years ago
Super Bowl 50 Fans Asked to Play Their Part to Help Make Big Game Net Positive
Behavior Change / Upgrading facilities to be LEED-certified, reducing carbon emissions, using recycled or compostable foodservice products, and diverting waste from landfills are common ways that sporting events are going green. However, especially with large events, much of the impact is contributed by the fans. - 7 years ago
Union of Concerned Scientists Ad Presses Presidential Candidates on Climate Threat
Leadership / Over the next month, the Manchester Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire’s five video screens will regularly show an animated ad depicting the state’s four leading presidential candidates with tides rising to their waists from climate-induced sea level rise. The 10-second spot asks, “How will you deal with sea level rise in New Hampshire?” and is expected to be seen by the candidates, their teams, and the press as they arrive for the GOP presidential debate on February 6 and primary on February 9. - 7 years ago
Report: The Future of Plastics Can (and Should) Be Circular
The Next Economy / Plastic packaging is not only an environmental problem, it is economically wasteful, too. Most plastic packaging is only used once, leading to 95 percent of the value of plastic packaging – worth $80-120 billion annually – being tossed and lost to the economy. - 7 years ago
Ford to Offer Concierge Service, Mobile Payment, Community Hubs
Product, Service & Design Innovation / Ford Motor Company has been rather focused on the “future of mobility” since the launch of its Smart Mobility Plan and 25 related experiments. The company has been shifting its focus from being an automaker to changing the way the world moves. - 7 years ago
Obama’s Final State of the Union Address Highlights Clean Energy as a Success Story, Priority
Cleantech / President Barack Obama highlighted the successes of cleantech investment – for both the economy and the environment – in his final State of the Union address on January 12. - 7 years ago
Trending: Companies Turning to Big Data, Microbes to Help Increase Crop Yields
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging / Farmers in the United States could soon benefit from two new ways to increase crop yield that were announced this month.CropClimate is the latest use of big data to benefit agriculture. The web platform uses climate-, soil- and crop-modeling to link the effects of environmental conditions, weather and crop yield history and field management to develop more resilient crop production systems, reports Environmental Leader. - 7 years ago
Kind Bars CEO Isn’t Nuts about FDA Label Rules
Marketing and Comms / Since March, snack food company KIND Snacks has been facing scrutiny over the labeling of its products. The company has built its brand on its use of natural ingredients in healthy snack products, but according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), several of its bars shouldn’t be called “healthy” at all. KIND agreed to make changes to the labels in breach, but is also politely asking the FDA to update its rules. - 7 years ago
Cradle to Cradle Design Challenge Winners Provide Practical Everyday Solutions
Product, Service & Design Innovation / The winners of the second Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Product Design Challenge were announced this morning – each solution was carefully designed to maximize the use of materials that can be perpetually cycled for reuse. - 7 years ago
Campbell Will Disclose GMOs on All Labels, Urges Feds to Make It Mandatory
Marketing and Comms / Whether or not you believe that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are safe for human consumption, the fact remains that the majority of American consumers support the labeling of GMO foods. Genetically engineered crops might be here to stay, but even so, it may be in the industry’s best interest to label products that contain them. - 7 years ago
10 Startups Selected as Water Data Challenge Finalists
Product, Service & Design Innovation / 10 promising startups that deliver water-focused data and analytics solutions have been selected as finalists in Imagine H2O’s Water Data Challenge, competing for $50,000 in cash awards. The final winners will be announced at Imagine H2O’s WaterGala event in San Francisco on March 16, 2016. In the meantime, the startups will participate the non-profit organization’s specialized water innovation accelerator program which will provide mentorship and grant them access to industry events as well as introductions to investors, utility partners, and beta customers. - 7 years ago
Interface Expands Recycling Operations with Network of ‘Regional Recycling Allies’
Waste Not / Carpet tile manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface is expanding its ReEntry recycling program by “creating a new network of regional recycling allies,” beginning with Oakland, Calif.-based Rethink Green. The company is seeking additional strategic partner recyclers in order to increase carpet recycling across North America each year. - 7 years ago
London, Berlin, Amsterdam: Capitals of the Next Economy?
The Next Economy / Whether the European Commission’s Circular Economy Package is ambitious enough is still under debate, but at least it leaves some flexibility for potential partnerships, industry-led and local government-led initiatives to shape the next economy. - 7 years ago
Mars Partnering to Improve Ag Development, Nutrition, Food Safety in India
Collaboration / Malnutrition remains a significant global problem despite corporate and charitable efforts to fight it. Malnourishment results in the deaths of an estimated 2.6 million children each year – about a third of global child deaths. An estimated 221 million people in India are chronically or acutely malnourished – over 17 percent of the country’s population. Nearly half of children in India are underweight and/or are too small for their age. - 7 years ago
The North Face Fall 2016 Line Will Use 100% Certified Responsible Down
Supply Chain / One year earlier than expected, The North Face will use 100 percent certified responsible down in all of the retail and wholesale down products in its Fall 2016 line. - 7 years ago
This Co-operative Is the World’s First Billion-Dollar Organic Food Company
Product, Service & Design Innovation / Farmer-owned co-operative Organic Valley surpassed $1 billion in sales on December 22, 2015, making it the world’s first organic-only food company to surpass the billion-dollar milestone. The company attributes a large part of its recent success to the introduction of two new product lines: In 2014, the company launched Organic Balance and Organic Fuel brand protein shakes; and in 2015 it launched Grassmilk premium yogurt, made with 100 percent grass-fed milk and no grain. - 7 years ago
‘Vaseline Healing Project’ Inviting Consumers to Help Provide Relief to Disaster Victims, Syrian Refugees
Collaboration / Dermatologists Grace Bandow and Samar Jaber were surprised by the experience they had on their first mission to a Syrian refugee camp. They prepared for parasitic and bacterial infections associated with crowded living – minor diseases that flourish in “close, dirty quarters.” What they did not anticipate was the number of people who simply needed an item commonly found in a household medicine cabinet.“It never occurred to us to prioritize Vaseline petroleum jelly,” they wrote in an article published by The Washington Post upon their return. - 7 years ago